By Living Room Realty, December 10, 2019
From an outsider’s perspective a career in real estate can seem like a dream. With HGTV cranking out series after series depicting agents showing a few houses one day, a short montage of renovation and a happy family reveal, it makes it all look so easy. With it’s flexible schedule and theoretically enormous income, what’s not to love?! Well, as with any job, there is more to being a REALTOR® than meets the eye. A truly dedicated realtor, in my mind, is far more than a salesperson. Although marketing and showing a home in it’s best light is indeed a much needed skill, a good REALTOR® is most importantly an advocate for their buyers and sellers and, as such, there is great depth to the job. All said and done, our work requires us to utilize a very diverse set of skills and this blog series lets you in on the nitty gritty of some of the less commonly acknowledged hats that we wear.
Real estate agent as administrator – Whenever a large sum of money is involved in an exchange of goods it can be assumed that there is a lot of paperwork to coincide with the sale and understanding said documents and ensuring that they are all signed by the right people at the right time is yet another of our tasks. In addition timing and thoroughness of communication is key and can literally make the difference at the onset of the process between having an offer accepted or not. Hitting myriad deadlines, communicating and keeping the process moving along in a timely fashion is certainly not the most flashy aspect of our job but it’s an important one as the t’s must be crossed and i’s dotted in order to keep a transaction from stalling and avoid any legal disputes.
Case in point – With three pups and two kitties along for the ride in her quaint retro camper, Carolyn finally made the cross-country trip from Florida to settle into the lush, green, liberal haven of Portland. It had been years in the making but when the stars finally aligned she couldn’t make the move quickly enough. Incredibly decisive and a meticulous researcher, Carolyn identified her perfect home to be even before her former house on the east coast had sold. By asking the right questions, being prompt with calls and providing a thorough summary of the offer terms when I submitted an offer on Caroline’s behalf it was apparent to the listing agent at the onset that not only was the offer prepared with intention but also the team with whom he’d be working was top notch. Although the house had just hit the market and was priced and marketed to receive multiple offers Caroline’s was accepted immediately and so began the final phase of her transition to the left (and best) coast. By being organized and dialing in all the details from that first moment of communication no time was wasted. Now that she is settled in I’ll tell ya what, Caroline is one happy camper and I am too.
